A systematic review of reviews of interventions to promote mental health and prevent mental health problems in children and young people

Background: There is a growing policy imperative to promote positive mental health as well as preventing the development of mental health problems in children. This paper summarises the results of published systematic reviews evaluating interventions to promote mental health and prevent mental illness in children. Method: A search was undertaken of ten electronic databases using a combination of medical subject headings (MeSH) and free text searches. Systematic reviews covering mental health promotion or mental illness prevention interventions aimed at infants, children or young people up to age 19 were included. Reviews of drug and alcohol prevention programmes or programmes to prevent childhood abuse and neglect were excluded because these have been the subject of recent good quality reviews of reviews. Critical appraisal of all studies was undertaken using a standardised appraisal tool for systematic reviews. Where possible effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals are reported. A narrative summary has been provided. Results: A total of 27 systematic reviews were included and grouped pragmatically under the following headings: parenting interventions; programmes for the prevention of anxiety and depression, programmes to promote self esteem, violence and aggression prevention programmes, school-based programmes, and general reviews. Included studies targeted a range of risk and protective factors, and a range of populations (including both parents and children). While, many lacked methodological rigour, overall, the evidence is strongly suggestive of the effectiveness of a range of interventions in promoting positive mental well-being, and reducing key risk factors for mental illness in children. Conclusion: A variety of programmes have been shown to be effective in promoting children’s mental health, albeit with modest effect sizes. Based on this evidence, arguments are advanced for the preferential provision of early preventive programmes

Attitudes toward mental illness among college students in Nuevo Leon, México = Actitudes hacia las enfermedades mentales en estudiantes universitarios de Nuevo León, México

Stigma associated with mental illness has detrimental effects on the treatment and prevention of these diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze attitudes toward mental illness in a sample of university students in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Results. Nine hundred and forty-three students were surveyed, 66.9% believe that genetic and familial factors are the cause of mental illness. Among 20-30% believe that people with mental illness are a nuisance for people; between 12-14% would be ashamed of having a family member with mental illness and people know it; and 61.8% would be able to maintain a friendship with a person who have mental illness. Conclusions. Over 50% of respondents have favorable attitudes towards patients with mental illness and less than 30% attitudes of social distancing

Counting the cost: the impact of young men's mental health on the Australian economy

Mental illness in young men costs the Australian economy A$387,000 per hour and over nine million working days lost per annum – figures which this report argues cannot be ignored by the business sector. The human and economic costs of mental illness in Australia can no longer be ignored. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that 26.5% of adolescents (one in four young people in this age group) will experience a mental health problem. In spite of this, rates of helpseeking among young Australians, and particularly among young men, remain low. Tragically, suicide continues to be the leading cause of death for young men in Australia, accounting for 22% of all deaths; with male youth suicide rates in rural areas double those of metropolitan areas. This report analyses the resultant cost and impact on the Australian economy, highlighting the threat to productivity from poor mental health among young men. In presenting this new evidence, this report provides a call-to-action, demonstrating the importance of a community-wide response to raising awareness, prevention and treatment of young men’s mental illness

Dispelling the Myths and Stigma of Mental Illness: The Surgeon General\u27s Report on Mental Health

This paper summarizes the key findings of Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, which was released on December 13, 1999, by U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher. Topics include the significance of mental illness, the effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment, the widespread lack of treatment, access problems and their causes, the significance of stigma, and the prevention of mental illness

Community Nursing Intervention: Victory City arts and mental health program

The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of initiating a community-based nursing intervention to facilitate suicide prevention and mental health education for young people aged 13-22. The proposed nursing intervention will incorporate aspects of border culture with linkages to the local arts community in an innovative youth program known as Victory City . Current research dictates that the most effective interventions for this population and health issue are community-based. Research also reveals that mental health education, suicide prevention, and mental illness treatment and maintenance require a holistic medical and wellness approach. Mental illness incidence and prevalence have increased significantly, though; mental health remains to lack representation in national and global health initiatives. Mental health is also poorly represented in primary health care and medical models. The current research was collected using a literature search of Pubmed, EBSCO host, CINAHL and Cochrane databases. Peer reviewed research studies and systematic reviews published in the last five years were analyzed. Nursing theoretical frameworks are used to apply research to practice. Researchers will investigate the efficacy of the proposed community-based interventions in educating youths about suicide prevention, mental illness and wellness, and in treating young people with mental illness. Appropriate participants will be referred to the program by local schools and mental health practitioners. Participants must be interested in mental health wellness, treatment or education, and in the arts disciplines (visual arts, drama, dance, music). Among the statistics measured are, program participant satisfaction scores using a 10 point descriptive scale, program participant knowledge assessments related to mental health education, program participant symptom scores using a Likert scale, number of acute symptom exacerbations, and number of mental-health- related medical visits of the youths enrolled in the Victory City program. These significant criteria will evaluate the success of the interventions in treating mental illness in the participants and the success of suicide prevention and mental health teaching. Qualitative surveys will be distributed to the youth participants to allow for collection of subjective data related to program efficacy, and experiences with standard clinical interventions compared to the community-based interventions of the “Victory City” program

Culture Counts: Examinations of Recent Applications of the Penn Resiliency Program or, Toward a Rubric for Examining Cultural Appropriateness of Prevention Programming

It is imperative that researchers pay close attention to the influences of culture on mental health, and acknowledge a cultural context of illness and change when designing prevention programming. Researchers E. V. Cardemil, K. J. Reivich, and M. E. P. Seligman (2002) and D. L. Yu and M. E. P. Seligman (2002) have made attempts at adapting the existing Penn Resiliency Program (PRP) for culturally appropriate use cross-culturally and interculturally. The success of these modifications is discussed within a framework of guidelines designed to remind scientists how much culture counts. Finally, informative resources and a rubric are shared with prevention scientists for use in future development of culturally appropriate prevention programming

HIV Infection Linked to Substance Use Among Hospitalized Patients With Severe Mental Illness

Last June the National Institute of Mental Health adopted new priorities to address the AIDS epidemic among people with severe mental illness. Besides prevention and treatment, the priorities emphasize the need for a fuller understanding of the extent and social organization of sexual and drug use behavior, the nationwide prevalence of HIV, and the nature of causality between mental illness and HIV infection (1)

Strategies and practices for promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

This resource sheet reviews programs that aim to promote social and emotional wellbeing and identifies those that have been evaluated and shown to be effective in relation to Indigenous people. Social and emotional wellbeing is a term that is synonymous with mental health and wellbeing, and is widely used in policy and program documentation related to Indigenous people, as well as in the literature. The definition of social and emotional wellbeing used in this resource sheet is articulated in the National strategic framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ mental health and social and emotional well being 2004–2009: A positive state of wellbeing in which the individual can cope with the normal stress of life and reach his or her potential in work and community life in the context of family, community, culture and broader society. A range of programs, including education, housing and employment programs, that do not have specific objectives related to promoting mental health, have the potential to positively affect social and emotional wellbeing. These programs are covered in other resource sheets published by the Clearinghouse. A link to these resource sheets is in Table A2 on page 11. The focus of this resource sheet is on the promotion of social and emotional wellbeing and the prevention of mental illness. Treatment services specifically for people with a drug addiction and/or established mental illness are not considered in detail. Strategies to reduce alcohol and other drug-related harm are also not included as they are the subject of the resource sheet Reducing alcohol and other drug related harm. The association between mental illness and suicide is well established. A separate resource sheet Strategies to minimise the incidence of suicide and suicidal behaviour has been prepared, therefore programs whose primary purpose is suicide prevention are not considered in this resource sheet. This resource sheet assesses the effectiveness of Australian and international programs whose primary purpose is to promote the mental health and wellbeing of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in urban and remote locations

HIV and People With Serious Mental Illness: The Public Sector’s Role in Reducing HIV Risk and Improving Care

Objective: The paper discusses issues related to the detection, prevention of transmission, and treatment of human immunodefiency virus (HIV) infection among persons with serious mental illness and suggests ways public mental health systems can address these issues. Methods: MEDLINE was searched from 1980 through 1998, and all pertinent references were reviewed. Results: Persons with severe mental illness are at greatly increased risk of HIV infection due to increased likelihood of high-risk sexual behaviors and injection drug use. The formidable barriers to detection and effective treatment of HIV that exist in this population can be attributed to the unique characteristics of this population, lack of knowledge and expertise among mental and physical health care providers, and fragmented mental and physical health care systems. Conclusions: In the last five years, treatments for HIV that are far more efficacious than earlier treatments have become available, making it more important for HIV infection be detected and treated among persons with serious mental illness. Public mental health systems need to implement active prevention policies and practices, educate both mental health and physical health care providers about key treatment issues, and develop effective linkages between mental and physical health care providers and systems